Steelhearted Alchemist
by Freelance7
Summary: Years after a failed attempt to bring back a loved one, the man named Redford is trying to find the people who murdered his family. What will he do to get what he needs? M for Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, and Language


A/N: I would like to thank Nakamatoo for his help. He made sure I was getting everything story correct and good. Thanks! I hope you all enjoy my new series.

**Chapter 1**

_Tick-tick-tick_ went the grandfather clock in the lit kitchen, the only noise pronounced enough to have an effect on the people inside other than the roaring storm occurring outside the window.

_Tick-tick-tick_ was the noise that was starting to get on the pale skinned man's nerve. The blue-eyed man who was tapping his finger on the table, eying his wife on the other side. They had their meals in front of them on the square table. All three of them. But the strange thing was...a fourth meal in front of an empty chair.

_Tick-tick-tick_ was the rhythm the small child made tapping noises to with his fork on the wood. _Tap-tap-tap_ he went, obviously impatient over his meal. His little head turned so that his red eyes could look at his mother, who was staring off in the distance with the same eyes as her son, "Mommy! When is cousin Callum coming down?"

His mother's eyes snapped to the boy, her head turning a little afterwards. She smiled, lighting her beautiful tan face, "I am sure he will be down in just a minute, hun. Just...he will be down."

The child frowned before putting down his eating utensils and crossing his arms, "Why do we always have to wait for everyone?"

The father sighed at his son's complaining, "Because it is considerate. You will want to be considerate if you want a woman in your life."

The boy's eyes lit up, he held his hand out to his mother, "She is a woman in my life!"

"And I married that woman. So-"

"Shut up, you two! The distress is not good for the baby." The woman said, placing a hand on her swollen stomach underneath the table.

The father looked at his wife before nodding, "Right. Sorry, honey." He looked at the stairway, "I am going to get him." He said, standing up.

"Honey, respect his privacy. He has been through hard times."

"If he was doing anything private, he would've been finished already." He smiled to himself as he ascended the stairs, hearing his wife's whine in disgust. His bare feet slapped against the wooden floor of this two story house near the farm they own.

Once he reached the top floor, he passed by the doors in the hallway, "Callum...Callum! You are late for supper!" He got closer to the door of the boy's room, the storm still raging outside.

The father found it weird, hearing no noise from his nephew's room.

It wasn't until he was just a few feet away before he heard a blood curdling scream that was cut short.

The man's eyes widened as he dashed to the door, "Callum!" He was panicking as he opened it to reveal the horror beyond him.

On the cold wooden floor in front of him, lay a young man, at least the age of twelve. The boy's red eyes were staring at the ceiling, wide in fear and pain, as his mouth mumbled unknown words. His body twitched sporadically. And there was good reason.

A huge hole was cut in his chest, probably by the large bloody kitchen knife just by the boy's small right hand. Cut right through the skin and the ribs. Blood was pouring out onto the floor, staining the wood.

"Callum!" He shouted, picking the slightly tan boy up, paying no attention to the event happening in the room. He had no medical experience, so he had one option to save this child. He sprinted down the hall, descending the stairs, and out the front door into the violent storm, frightening his wife and child as they saw a blood trail following them, "Joseph!?" She shouted, running to the doorway, sticking her head out only for her white hair to be whipped around by the wind as her face was pelted by the rain, "Joseph!"

Joseph didn't hear his wife as he ran through the storm with just a shirt and pair of pants on, his short brown hair being pushed back. He didn't care though, he promised to keep this boy alive, he promised to the boy's dead father's grave.

But he was running out of time. What he didn't realize was that the boy was missing a heart.

_Tick-tick-tick,_ went the grandfather clock in his mind. _Tick-tick-tick_.

The streets of Central City seemed clean and quiet on this serene night. Like the authorities have actually done their job and sweeped the crime. But, sadly, they have not.

A mother and her daughter were walking along a short cut they take home, holding hands. The little girl was beaming up at her mother, who smiled back, "Did you have fun today, honey?"

The daughter nodded, "Yeah! In class we drew pictures of our favorite animals!"

"And what was yours?"

"A cat!"

The mother laughed, loving her daughter's joy. It brought her life in this city.

Suddenly, a hooded man stepped out of an alleyway, making the mother and daughter stop, staring at the man with scared curiosity.

The man turned to look at them, only his dark eyes visible, his mouth covered by a bandana. But they could tell a smile was behind it. A sinister one.

He raised his hand to point a revolver in the mother's face, "You. Your money. Give it now."

The mother's eyes peered at the barrel, her body shaking as she pushed her child behind her, "I...I don't have any money. I just came to pick up my little girl, please…"

The man jabbed the gun out at them, "Don't lie to me, bitch!"

"Don't shout at her!" The little girl yelled at the man, peeking out from her mother's body.

"Baby, p-please, get behind me." Her mother whispered to her daughter. She looked back up at the gun, "Please, don't hurt her. She is just a little girl!"

"Shut up!" The man threatened.

The little girl pushed past her mother, "Stop it!"

"No!" The mother tried to prevent her daughter from facing the man to no avail.

The gun pulled down to the girl's head. The girl stared up at the man, eyebrows turned down, not scared.

"Hannah!" The mother screeched.

The man squeezed the trigger.

_Shing! Pow!_

A flash of metal, the gun went off, and blood went flying through the air, along with a severed hand holding a gun.

The daughter looked at the man with shocked eyes as he was now sporting a stump for a right hand. The man stared at the stump in silence, looking to the left to see what that flash was.

A blood spattered blade sunk itself into a wall. The man looked the other way, eyes wide as he saw the thrower.

A figure stood in the shadows, shaking as the person laughed before taking a few steps into the hanging light, revealing a young man, at least seventeen, wearing a black fedora, placed on his light blonde medium hair that is parted to the side, partially covering one of his red eyes.

He wore a black suit and tie, white button down, black slacks, and dress shoes.

And he was wearing a wide smirk.

"Hey there, mugger. You look a little empty-handed." He chuckled, hearing the police coming due to the gunshot, "Oooh...sounds like the good ol' brass is on their way," He began, getting closer to the dismembered man, tall enough to breath in his face and whisper, "To lock up your ass."

The man gave a short laugh as he interlocked his fingers, blue sparks flying everywhere. He thrust them forward, palms facing out, cracking his knuckles and revealing a transmutation circle on his right palm. He then placed that palm on the stone wall, electric sparks emitting from it as he began to pull out a mace made out of the same material as the wall.

The man's eyes widened more as he began to shriek. But it was cut short as he was knocked out by the force of the stone hitting the side of his head. He quickly slumped to the ground, in front of the mother and daughter, earning a scared whimper from the latter.

The young man dropped the mace and looked at the little girl, "Don't worry, he is still alive. But you…" He nodded to the mother, hooking one thumb in his pocket, and the other in his lapel, "You two okay?" He asked in a more serious tone.

The daughter wrapped an arm around her mother, looking up at her, slightly scared by this man. The mother stared at the man with slightly concerned eyes.

The man cocked an eyebrow, before his eyes lit up, "Ohhhh…" He pointed to himself, "It's because of my eyes, huh? Yes, I am Ishvalen-well...half...Ishvalen, more like it."

The little girl stared at him a few seconds later before taking a few steps forward and smiling, her mother looking a bit worried, "My name is Hannah." She held her hand out.

The man glanced up at the mother, who reluctantly nodded, before taking her small hand in his, "Hello, Hannah, my name is Redford. I am an alchemist. You remind me a bit of my cousin, Maizy. Cheerful and happy. I have a few cousins actually."

The cars arrived in the street, and the family of two looked to see soldiers getting out. Redford nodded, "Well, you two should get home. Please be more careful." He said.

The mother nodded, "Uh...yes...of course...thank you." She quickly said the last two words before rushing her daughter to the authorities, who were starting to get the unconscious body out of the way.

Redford took off his hat and smiled, "Good job, soldiers! Cleaning up my handiwork!"

He stood there and watched them a few seconds more before nodding, putting his hat on and turning around, walking towards the street, his shoes clapping against the concrete floor.

Redford was just about to step out into the street when a familiar voice shouted out to him from behind, "Oi! Hero! Six o'clock!"

The young man stopped and closed his eyes, sighing, "Why...why do you say 'Oi'? You don't have the accent for it." He turned around to face the youngest state alchemist in Central City. And the daughter of the fuhrer.

"You may be right, but I just love annoying you with it." The woman smiled playfully, walking over with her hands tucked in the pockets of her state military jacket. Her black hair fastened up in the back with a clip barrette, always in the style of a bird tail, along with her bangs falling down in the pattern of a hawk's wing, partially covering her left eye. Just like her mother.

"Chris Mustang. I should've expected you to come. How's your mother?"

Chris stopped in front of him, her head at his neck, looking up at the tall teenager with her large dark eyes, "My mother is fine, Redford. Growing old as usual with father. Speaking of father...he has asked me again."

Redford chuckled and took his hat off to push some hair behind his ear, "Tell him I decline again, but thank you."

Chris smirked and nodded, pulling her hands out of her pockets to raise them in a shrug, revealing her white-gloved hands with the transmutation circles on them in red, "Alright, but the offer will always stand. He says it would be interesting to have a half-breed as a state alchemist, especially a young one."

The young man shrugged, putting the hat back on his head, "I might accept it someday. But...I don't want the military tying me down, you know? Not until I am finished...which reminds me...have you...have you found any leads?"

Chris' wide smile slowly lowered itself into a straight line cut between her lips, her eyes looked at the man one year younger than herself standing in front of her, "A few very...very bad ones that will lead to dead ends. I am sorry, Red...I am…."

Redford held a hand up, "No...don't be, Chris." He took a step closer towards the woman, grabbing the woman's broad shoulders with his hands, "Thank you." He gave an encouraging smile before glancing to the street, "I should get home...Joey is probably scared I died or...something. But...thank you, Chris, for everything. Keep on trying, okay?"

Chris twisted her mouth into a corner before nodding and peering up at her friend, "Alright, Red...goodnight. Give Joey my best. And good work...getting this mugger, I mean."

Redford let go of her shoulder and turned around, walking down the street, he held his hand up, "Goodnight." He curled three fingers so that only his index and middle finger were out. He touched them to his temple before waving it out, giving some sort of salute to his friend.

Chris watched him disappear behind a corner, her hands on her flared hips. She took a deep breath and turned around, walking back to her men, "Alright boys, let's get out of here."

_Snip-snip_, the pre-teen's mind sang. _Snip-snip_. The tan boy cut out the cheap newsprint with his scissors. He cut the last piece that was hanging on, watching it fall slowly to the floor. The swaying movements. _Like a lady's rump. Nice and plump. _The pubescent child thought to himself.

He picked up the piece of newsprint and stood up, stepping up to the nearby wall. On it were other newsprints from other times, each with headlines like _**MURDER LEAVES FAMILY OF FIVE DEVASTATED **_or _**MASSACRE AT TAVERN**_. The boy stepped back, studying the map of newspaper pieces in front of him, "You got a new headline added to y'all...'**Official Found Dead In Bathroom'**...whoever these guys are, they are getting more and more mysterious every headline." He stood there, finger tapping his chin, before shrugging and walking back to the table, sitting down and sighing.

The kid pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips. Reaching over the table to the ashtray, where he left his lighter, he brought it up to his cigarette and flicked it, the little flame exploding from it and lighting the rolled up tobacco.

Just as the kid pulled the cigarette out and blew smoke into the air, the door to the apartment he was in opened, and a tall young man stepped through, holding a paper bag. He glanced over at the child and sighed, taking his hat off and putting it on the hat stand along with his jacket, "Joey...you need to stop smoking. It's bad for your age...stunts your growth."

Joey smirked and chuckled, "How can that be a bad thing? Girls love a small guy. I mean, how many women are falling for you, _Redford?_"

Redford walked over and placed the bag on the table, "I brought Shing food. And why do you say my name like that?"

"Because it's not your name!"

"Quiet, you!"

"But it's my last name! Why did you borrow it?"

"Because it sounds good!"

A big bang against their wall silenced them.

"Sorry!" Redford shouted to their next door neighbor. He looked to Joey and placed a finger on his lips.

Joey nodded, opening the bag and pulling out his food, "So...who'd you save this night?"

Redford sat down across from Joey, pulling the bag over and getting out his food, "A mother and daughter. Daughter was very brave...I couldn't believe it. I cut the guy's hand off and knocked him out before he could shoot the little girl."

"You cut his _hand_ off?"

"It was the best I could do in the time I had."

"Ah...okay...so did the police arrive?"

"They heard the gunshot. Oh...and Chris showed up."

"Chris Mustang?"

Redford nodded, eating some of the noodles he bought.

"How was she looking?"

The older boy cocked an eyebrow at Joey, slurping the rest of his noodles in before speaking, "Normally, you hormone riddled bastard."

"Hey, that's what I am. Can't deny it."

Redford sighed before looking at the phone they had in the room, "Have you called your parents?"

"...No."

"Do it."

"But, _Red-_"

"Now! You promised them."

Joey sighed before standing up from the chair and made his way over to the phone. He picked it up and began to put in the numbers before waiting for them to pick up.

Redford finished up his food, his red eyes landing on the wall plastered with newsprint. He stood up, walking over to the wall, scanning the newspaper headlines for anything that might help his search. He spotted the new one Joey put up, reading the description,

"'People reported seeing a woman in a red dress with purple hair walking away from the men's bathroom a few minutes before the body was discovered'...that's gotta be one of them, it's gotta-urg…"

Redford clutched his chest, getting down on one knee, straining to keep himself up as he could feel his pulse quicken. His vision exploded with colors and past memories. Memories of running home, of his slaughtered family, of five unknown adults running away from the house. Of the girl with the purple hair. He grunted, his free hand holding onto the wall.

Joey, while speaking to his mother, looked over, his red eyes widening, "Hold on, mother." He put the phone down on the table before running over and crouching down in front of Redford, "Red...Red...is everything okay?"

Redford glanced at Joey, nodding, "Mmmyeah...yeah...I am fine...ugh...just...memories."

Joey sighed, "You remember what Dutch said...those are not good for your heart if you remember them too fast. Slow down, Red. We trained you to be like this."

The teen closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly. _In through the nose, out through the mouth_, he thought to himself as he did it. Eventually, his pulse slowed down, and the colors went away. He opened his eyes to see Joey smiling, "There you go. I gotta finish talking to mom, you gonna be alright?"

Redford nodded, "Yeah...yeah, Joey...thanks."

The kid nodded and patted his shoulder before going back to the phone, putting it up to his ear, "Yeah, mom, I'm here...Redford just had a problem...because he wants me to call him that."

Redford smiled, standing up, he looked at the newsprints again and tapped his finger on the one he read, "Tomorrow." He said to himself.

He turned to Joey, who hung up the phone and looked to Redford, "Bedtime?"

Redford nodded, "Yeah...bedtime. Dibs on bed."

"You always get dibs on the bed."

"Because you can fit the couch. I can't."

"Ugh...goodnight."

"Goodnight, Joey."

Fuhrer Mustang sat in his office, tea cup in hand, sipping patiently, waiting for his daughter to get home. He is always worried about Chris, being out there.

"She will be fine, Roy." His wife walked into the office, dressed in her military attire, as was her husband.

Roy sighed, "Riza...I am just worried, is all."

Riza nodded, "As you have every right to be. But she is a Mustang. The new Flame Alchemist. And your daughter, for God's sake."

Roy blinked, looking at the front door to his office before nodding and putting his tea down, "You're right. I just sent her after that Redford character again."

"That young alchemist? Helper by day, vigilante by night? You keep on pestering the poor boy?"

"That's correct. From what I have seen and heard, he is a prodigy. Just came here out of the blue. He carved a transmutation circle in his palm. Carved. You know how many lives he has saved since he got here?"

Riza glanced up in thought, "From the reports...about one thousand and up."

"And he has only been here for a year. So you see why I want him as a state alchemist."

"Yes...I do...but why don't you come after him yourself? Why send our daughter?"

"Because she was the first person to befriend him when he got here. Literally. He arrived here on a train, and she was there to greet him when she was seventeen. And you know how she knew? He sent a letter from whatever place he was from a couple of years back. To me. She got the letter before me and sent one back. Then they sent letters back and forth. Penpals."

Riza smirked, "That's our daughter...she borrowed that from you."

"Borrowed what?"

"Your initiative."

Roy turned his back to his wife, "And your sass."

"Excuse me?"

Roy's eyes widened. He is the fuhrer. The former Flame Alchemist. He slaughtered hundreds and helped save the country. But nothing scares him more than a wife. Especially one as tough as Riza Hawkeye.

"Nothing dear…"

"Thought so."

"Anyway, the kid is also half-Ishvalen. That would be great publicity for the government if he were to become a state alchemist."

Riza cocked an eyebrow, "Oh, so this is to make us look good after the whole thing with Bradley?"

Roy huffed, "Hardly, I think the people view the government in a positive light since I took office."

"Hm, if you say s-"

A knock on the front door caught the attention of the married couple. Roy smiled as he knew who it was, "Come in!"

The doors opened slowly to reveal a young lady, eighteen, standing in the doorway, hands behind her back, looking uniform and proper. Roy nodded to her, "My beautiful daughter has returned. How is Redford?"

Chris walked past the doorway, which closed behind her, "He is fine. Saved a mother and daughter today from a mugging."

Riza glanced at Roy, who glanced back, "Is that so? Who is the culprit?"

Chris shrugged, "Don't know his name, but he is missing his shooting hand. Apparently, Red made a sword or something out of a pipe and threw it at a pretty decent speed. Chopped it right off, saving the two."

Roy cocked an eyebrow, "Hm...haven't heard any reports of him dismembering people before."

Chris nodded, "Yeah, I know it's pretty brutal, huh?"

Roy shrugged, "Not as brutal to us. Your mother and I have seen plenty of war...it's basically normal. But anyway, back to bigger matters...did you ask him?"

The new flame alchemist inhaled, looking at her father and mother, before exhaling, "I did...but he declined again." Roy showed obvious annoyance, but Chris continued, "He said he didn't want the military tying him down. He is still...you know…"

Roy's eyes stayed on his daughter before turning down, "Trying to find the men that killed his family?"

Chris looked down at her feet, "Uh, yeah...yeah…"

"Poor kid...well...we should try to help him, or encourage him to join us so that we could assist him more." He twisted his chair to face the clock, "It's getting late. Get some rest, Chris."

"I am not tire-"

"_Now_, young lady. That's an order. Direct from the fuhrer." Roy smirked.

Chris opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. She nodded, "Yes, sir. Goodnight, sir." She then turned to Riza, "Goodnight, mother."

The young woman walked out of the room, leaving the husband and wife to themselves. A broad silence grew in the room before finally being finished by Riza, "You love using that title."

Roy laughed and stood up, taking a few steps up to his wife. He kissed her on the forehead, "I might as well use it. I earned it. Come on, Riza, let's get to bed. I plan on giving Redford a visit tomorrow. I have received some intel recently that is shedding some light on the fellow. Might as well get some energy to survive him and whatever hellhole he lives in."

"That's rude, Roy."

"He is a seventeen year old alchemist. When was the last time we dealt with a young alchemist we weren't blood related to?"

Riza turned her head down, smirking, "Well...I guess you are right. Let's get some rest."

Roy smirked back, "Let's."

Sunlight poured through the windows, falling upon the young slightly tan face of Joey Redford. His eyes clenched and opened to reveal his red eyes to the sun.

His ears began to hear a single sound when he woke up. A slight rapping on their door. A slight knocking. His mind didn't begin to register it until at least ten seconds later. His eyes widened.

"_Someones at the door!"_ He jumped out of the couch, reaching down to grab his pants. He put one leg into one pant on his way hopping to the door, then the other pant, buttoning them before opening the door. His eyes widened once more.

"Oh...hello, Joey Redford. Is your cousin home?"

Joey cocked an eyebrow, "How do you-?"

"I'm the fuhrer, boy. What kind of king would I be if I didn't research every interesting individual and their families in my country? So, is he home?"

The sound of a door opening came from the apartment, and a groaning, "Uhhh...Joey...please don't announce when someone is knocking at the door." Redford appeared around the corner, wearing a white opened button up shirt and slacks, his hair a mess, "So...who is here to grace us with their…" He looked at the visitor and stopped, his eyes as wide as plates, "...p-presence?"

Mustang smiled, "Ahh, Redford, I have been looking for you. My daughter speaks highly of you and your abilities."

Redford blinked, "Oh, Chris? I mean...if she says so, I-I guess. She told me a lot about you asking for me."

The king nodded, "I did want us to talk about that. So, uhm...may I come in?"

Joey looked at Redford, who nodded, "Please." The older boy said.

The younger one stepped out of the way, allowing Mustang and his two guards to walk into the small apartment, "Tiny place...I thought you would be able to buy something better?"

Redford shrugged, "It's a place that serves a purpose. I didn't think we would need to waste Cenz on anything else."

Mustang cocked an eyebrow at the young man, "Hmm...well...I came here for more than just to ask you to join us. So…" He looked around the place, turning his back to Redford, "...is it true?"

The alchemist eyes widened, "Is...what true?"

Mustang hesitated before twisting around and extending his arm. A gun in his hand. He aimed and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot echoed the room, deafening everyone as the bullet traveled through the air at top speed before puncturing Redford in the center of his chest, diving into his skin. He was sent backwards into the wall.

But then the bullet stopped halfway through his skin, a loud clinging noise following the gunshot. The piece of brass fell out shortly after, hitting the floor.

Redford coughed a few times before looking up at Mustang, who smirked, "That you are Callum Bordown, the boy with the steel heart."

_**~~Five Years Ago~~**_

Dutch Heath was a simple doctor. He healed people when they were sick and that's all. He lived in his house with his wife and son, the latter of which was an automail expert, who tries to work on special projects that sometimes work. And sometimes don't.

Dutch was sitting with his wife, enjoying his dinner while the sounds of drilling somehow made it's way past the sound barrier of rain.

Suddenly, a pounding came at their door, followed by an inaudible shout, followed by more pounding. This startled the old couple.

Dutch got up quickly, sensing the urgency in the situation, and ran to the door, opening it wide to find an even more horrifying scene before him.

The father from the nearest house to his, Joseph, was standing in the rain, covered in blood as the source was in his arms. A twelve year old boy, bleeding from his chest, unconscious and pale in the man's arms.

"Dutch! Please help!" Joseph shouted.

Dutch's eyes widened as he nodded and let them in, "Set him on the table."

The father dashed inside, putting the bleeding boy on the dining table, scaring the wife of Dutch, "What is this?"

Dutch rushed to check the boy's body, "It's Callum, dear, just go to your room." He checked the chest area as his wife went upstairs, his eyes widening more, "Joseph...his heart is gone."

"What?"  
"_His heart is gone!_" He panicked, looking around for something that could help, when he realized one of his son's projects, "Junior! Get that recent project you finished!"

A moment later, a young man bursted out of a room, holding what looked to be a heart made of metal, "Dad! Why did you need-" He saw the child's body, twitching and bleeding, his mouth mumbling incoherent words, "Dad...it's just a prototype."

"Well test it now! We don't have a lot of time!"

Junior dashed to the table, looking at the boy's body, "I...I don't."

Dutch snatched the heart from his son's hands, "Give me that then." He placed the heart carefully in the child's opened chest cavity, having had some experience in bioengineering, and began to connect the vessels and nerves to the man made heart, "That should do it."

They waited, the few seconds that passed feeling like hours. But eventually...the sound of a beating heart reached their ears. Only to be followed by the sounds of pain as the boy woke up, the nerves within connecting to the housing system.

Little did he know, that several more years of pain would follow.

A/N: Thank you guys for reading my new series. I am still going to work on my Ereannie fanfics, but I just wanted to do something different for a change. I hope you guys enjoyed!


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